One Pennsylvania woman, who was just smacked with a jail sentence that she fears will cost her custody of her child for her involvement in the infamous January 6th Capitol riot, says she’s feeling “betrayed” by ex-President Donald Trump after claiming she was “promised” a job in the White House but ended up with jail time instead, according to a new report from Law & Crime.
Thirty-one-year-old Annie Howell recently appeared before a sentencing judge where she was ultimately sentenced to jail time for breaching a “sensitive space” inside the United States Capitol building during the infamous, violent January 6th Capitol insurrection. Speaking to the judge, the rioter complained that she felt betrayed because, as she claimed, she was promised a job in the White House by people close to Donald Trump, only to end up with jail time instead that she’s afraid could cause her to lose custody of her child.
Howell personally recorded at least 5 different videos on January 6th, 2020, including one particularly incriminating clip showing herself inside a ransacked conference room in the Capitol building that prosecutors said was a “sensitive space.” Prosecutors claimed that Howell could be heard in the video footage leading a chant of “Whose house? Our house!” Annie also personally recorded numerous clips of law enforcement officers being violently attacked by the rabid mob of Trump supporters at the Capitol building on January 6th as they stormed the government building in a last-ditch desperate effort to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College votes that officially declared Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election win.
During her sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Howell claimed to the judge that GOP officials specifically told her she would be rewarded for her loyalty and dedication to keeping Donald Trump in the White House.
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“I feel betrayed by the former president,” Howell whined at her hearing, where she was ultimately sentenced to 90 days in jail. “I was promised things by people that were close to him, such as a job in the White House.”
“I Helped Set Up Security for Trump.”
In a letter she filed with the court ahead of her hearing, Howell detailed her alleged connections to the GOP, writing that her work as a volunteer earned her an “exclusive, invitation-only, dinner with Eric Trump” and she became more “politically connected” after that.
“I was surrounded by Congressmen, Senators, even Trump advisers. I helped set up security for Trump and his family with the secret service,” her letter claimed.
“By this point in time I had a large social media following and was enthusiastic about the 2020 election and Donald Trump, my candidate. I was promised future benefits, including a possible White House job for my hard work, my loyalty and my dedication to Trump and his family. Immediately following the election, I was asked directly by a Trump adviser and supposed close friend to help collect affidavits from PA. residents in eight [8] Pennsylvania counties.”
Howell infamously cooperated with the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th siege and ultimately provided information that has since been “investigated, verified and found to be valuable.”
That did nothing to sway prosecutors in her case.
Prosecutor Benjamin Kringer said during Wednesday’s hearing, “It doesn’t change the fact we still believe she is still deserving of incarceration in this matter.” Prosecutors went on to note that one video shows that Howell continued to record as insurrectionists dragged three police officers down a set of stairs and proceeded to brutally assault the law enforcement officials. During the violent physical attack, Howell can be heard in the clip that she personally recorded yelling “Fuck you!” at the officers as they were assaulted.
“It is difficult to understand how somebody can watch officers being hit with sticks, being kicked, being attacked with their own stolen riot shields, and cheer for those attacks to continue,” Kringer stated.
Reagan-appointed Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan sentenced Howell to 90 days in jail, as a condition of a three-year probation period. Hogan said he was trying to avoid a sentence that would affect Howell’s custody of her child, as the child’s father has allegedly been fighting for full custody since her arrest. Howell is permitted to serve her time in 10-day increments at a local jail. Howell’s attorney argued against the jail time, seeking mere probation instead, claiming that the sentence could cost her client custody of her child. But the judge wasn’t having it.
Hogan also ordered that Howell serve 60 hours of community service.
During the hearing, Howell claimed she was “embarrassed and ashamed” of her actions and said she’s no longer the same person she was then.
You can read the full report from Law & Crime here.
Featured image via the FBI and U.S. Dept. of Justice
